Surface unit



April 2, 19.68 J, E DMS 3,375,819

SURFACE UNIT Filed OC'h. 26, 1966 //VVA/ 7-02 Day/2:4

3r QZ QA G -7,

United States Patent ()fiice 3,375,819 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 3,375,819 SURFACE UNIT James E. Davis, Marion, Ohio, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 589,588 7 Claims. (Cl. 126-211) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a surface unit for a fluid fuel cooking stove having surface burners.

Surface units of the above type are mounted on a supporting structure and have a plurality of burners exposed for surface cooking. One of the features of this invention therefore is to provide an improved surface unit compris ing a burner box, a cooktop overlying the burner box when in assembled relationship therewith and spaced therefrom to provide a space and attaching means comprising releasable parts one of which engages the burner box and the other of which engages the cooktop for releasable engagement of the burner box and cooktop so that they can be easily disassembled by merely releasing the releasable parts.

A further and more specific feature of the invention is i to provide such a surface unit in which the attaching means part that is adjacent the cooktop provides a plurality of functions, one of which is to aid in securing the burner box and cooktop in the above assembled relationship, another of which is to provide flue means for venting heated gases including the combustion product gases from the pilot flame locate-d in the space and another of which is to provide support and preferably adjustable support for a plurality of grates that are designed to support cooking utensils in cooking relationship with the cooktop burners.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partially broken away of a surface unit embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical sectional view through the central part of the surface unit.

FIGURE 3 is a detail plan view of a portion of the surfaceunit.

In the illustrated embodiment the surface unit 10 is mounted in an opening 11 on a shelf 12. As is customary one end of the unit 10 is provided with a plurality of controls 13 for the burners 14. In this embodiment there are four such burners with one being thermostatically controlled by a temperature sensor 15.

The unit 10 comprises a bot-tom burner box 16 attached to the edge of the shelf 12 by a plurality of screws 17 extending through a flange 18 at the edge of the box 16 and engaging the shelf 12.

Overlying the burner box 16 and spaced therefrom to provide the intermediate space 19 is a cooktop 20' having a downwardly recessed portion 21 and edge support means 22 in the form of a dbwnturned flange 23. The edge support means 22 is spaced from the flange 18 of the box 16 which functions as a marginal support means for the burner box. The flange 23, as can be seen in FIGURE 2, is generally vertical and normally bears down against the top of the shelf 12. This flange 23 is provided with a plurality of air inlet openings 24 leading into the space 19 between the burner box 16 and cooktop 20. As shown in FIGURE 1,, the burners 14 extend from the space 19 through the cooktop 20 and as is normal have their flame projecting portions above the cooktop.

In order to retain the burner box 16 and cooktop 20 in the illustrated assembled relationship, but permitting ready disassembly for cleaning, there is provided a central attaching means 25 in releasable parts, one of which 26 is illustrated as a threaded bolt which extends upward vertically through the bottom of the burner box 16 and the other of which is a nut 27 having generally the shape of a truncated cone and with a central threaded passage 28 engaging the bolt 26. As can be seen in FIGURE 2, the nut 27 normally bears downwardly against the upper surface of the cooktop 20 so that it tends to force the cooktop downwardly and thereby hold the edge flange 23 tightly against the upper surface of the shelf 12.

The generally cylindrical bottom 29 of the nut 27 is hollow and surrounds an upturned circular flange 30 in the cooktop 20. This circular flange 30 provides with the hollow interior of the bottom 29 an air vent passage 31 which exhausts to the top of the cooktop 20 by means of a. plurality of circularly arranged vertical escape flues 32 at the side of the nut 27.

With-in the space 19 that is above the burner box 16 but beneath the cooktop 20 there are provided pilot flame means 33 in the form of a pair of pilot burners linearly aligned with the nut 27 and on opposite sides thereof, as shown in FIGURE 1. Extending from each side of each pilot 33 is a flash tube 34 leading in the customary manner to one of the burners 14. A cover or cone 35 is positioned around each pilot 33 and both with their covers are enclosed by a downwardly opening elongated hood 36 whose middle portion is located immediately beneath the fastening means nut 27.

The top of the hood 36 at the center is provided with a flanged opening 37 that is beneath and aligned with the flange 30 of the air vent passage 31. With this construction the heated gases beneath the hood 36 including the gaseous combustion products from the two pilots 33 are conducted to the opening 37 in the hood and then by convection upwardly through the passage 31 and out the vertical fiues 32.

The nut 27 of the attaching means 25 also has the additional function of supporting the adjacent corners 38 of the plurality of removable grates 39, one of which is above each burner 14 in the customary manner for supporting a cooking vessel to be heated by a burner. In the illustrated embodiment this support for the adjacent corners of the grates 39 is adjustable and is accomplished by providing an adjusting screw 40 in the nut 27 for supporting each grate corner 38. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, there .are four grates and there are four adjusting screws 40. As is shown in FIGURE 3, the screws 40 are arranged inwardly of the circle of dues 32 and, as shown in FIGURE 3, each corner rests on the top or head of one screw.

As is shown most clearly in FIGURE 2, the air enters the space 19 through the flange openings 24. This air provides combustion air for the pilot flames and some of the primary air for the burners 14. It also cools the burner box 16 as well as the cooktop 20 and sweeps under the edge of the hood 36 to carry away heat and gaseous combustionproducts from within the space 19 and from within the hood 36. The air then by convection is caused to flow in this manner and to exhaust upwardly through the opening 37, the vent pass-age 31 and the plurality of vertical flues 32 to above the cooktop 20.

The attaching means 25 which in this embodiment is a single device located at substantially the center of the surface unit serves a plurality of functions as previously mentioned. Thus it secures the burner box 16 and cooktop 20 in assembled relationship, as shown in the drawings, but permits easy and fast disassembly for cleaning or any other purpose merely by unscrewing the nut 27 from the bolt 26. Because the nut is on top of the cooktop 20 this is very easily accomplished.

In addition, the attaching means provides the escape flue structure for the heated gases including the gaseous combustion products from the pilots from within the intermediate space 19.

Then, additionally, the attaching means 25 provides support, and preferably adjustable support as shown in the illustrated embodiment, for the adjacent corners of the plurality of grates 39. The adjusting screws may be used for easy leveling of each grate so that it rests securely and does not rock under the weight of the cooking vessel which it may be supporting.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A surface unit for a cooking stove, comprising: a burner box; a cooktop overlying said burner box in assembled relationship and spaced therefrom; attaching means comprising releasable parts one of which engages the burner box and the other of which engages the cooktop for releasably retaining said box and cooktop in said assembled relationship; pilot flame means in the space between said box and cooktop; flue means in said cooktop attaching means part with the flue means extending from the space between said box and cooktop to above said cooktop; and vent means leading from adjacent said pilot flame means to said flue means to vent gaseous combustion products from said pilot flame.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said-vent means comprises a hood extending from over said pilot flame means to said flue means and having gas escape means leading to said flue means.

3. The unit of claim 2 wherein there are provided a pair of pilot flame meanson opposite sides of and spaced from said flue means, said hood extending from over both said pilot flame means.

4. A surface unit for a cooking stove, comprising: a burner box; a cooktop overlying said burner box in assembled rellationship and spaced therefrom; attaching means comprising releasable parts one of which engages the burner box and the other of which engages the cooktop for releasably retaining said box and cooktop in said assembled relationship; and a plurality of separate burner grates over said cooktop, a plurality of the grates having adjacent corners supported by said attaching means.

5. The unit of claim 4 wherein said attaching means is provided with separate leveling means adjustable with respect to said attaching means for adjustably supporting each of said adjacent corners.

6. A surface unit for a cooking stove, comprising: a burner box; a cooktop overlying said burner box in assembiled relationship and spaced therefrom; attaching means comprising releasable parts one of which engages the burner box and the other of which engages the cooktop for releasably retaining said box and cooktop in said assembled relationship; marginal support means for said box; edge support means on said cooktop retained in engagement with said marginal support means by said attaching means, pilot flame means in the space between said box and cooktop; flue means in said cooktop attaching means part with the flue means extending from the space between said box and cooktop to above said cooktop; and vent means leading from adjacent said pilot flame means to said flue means to vent gaseous combustion products from said pi-lot flame, said vent means comprising a hood extending from over said pilot flame means to said flue means and having gas escape means leading to said line means.

7. The unit of claim 6 wherein there are provided a plurality of separate burner grates over said cooktop, a plurality of the gates having adjacent corners supported by said attaching means, and said attaching means is provided with separate leveling means adjustable with respect to said attach-ing means for adjustably supporting each of said adjacent corners.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,759 5/1951 Pence 126-214 3,166,064 1/1965 Waltman 126-2l4 3,257,543 6/1966 Regan et al 126-214 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, IR., Primary Examiner.

E. G. FAVORS, Assistant Examiner. 

